Adjustable Bat

ABSTRACT

A method is provided. A center of mass of the bat is calculated based at least in part on the physical characteristics, the length, and the drop. A first and second mass distribution for an insert having a central axis and a length is calculated based at least in part on the calculated center of mass. The first mass distribution is symmetric about the central axis along the entire length, and the second mass distribution includes a first density for at least one low mass region and a second density for a high mass region with the second density is greater than the first density. Then, the insert is 3D printing based at least in part on the first and second mass distributions.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/131,463, which is entitled “ADJUSTABLE BAT,” which was filed on Dec. 29, 2020, and which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates generally to a bat and, more particularly, to an adjustable bat.

BACKGROUND

To date, choices among baseball bats for players has been a matter of speculation. Oftentimes, players or parents would pose the question of: “which bat should I buy?” And, there was no good answer. However, that is no long true with the advent of the WHICHBAT® engine. As a result of this leap forward, there is a need for bats that can more precisely match the player.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of the present disclosure, accordingly, provides an apparatus. The apparatus comprising: a generally hollow bat core having: a knob; a handle that extends from the knob, wherein the handle is generally coaxial with the knob; a joint that extends from the handle, wherein the joint is generally coaxial with the handle; a barrel core having a first end and a second end, wherein the barrel core extends from the joint at its first end, wherein the joint is generally coaxial with the joint, and wherein the second end of the barrel core includes threads; a shell having an inner portion and an outer portion that are generally coaxial with one another and joined with one another at a junction, wherein the shell has an inner recess that is dimensioned to engage the barrel core, and wherein there is an outer recess between the inner portion and the outer portion, and wherein the inner portion is secured to the barrel core along at least a portion of its length; an insert that is dimensioned to be received into the outer recess of the shell, wherein the insert is secured to the shell, and wherein the insert is generally coaxial with the shell along its central axis, and wherein the insert has a symmetric mass distribution about its central axis along its entire length, and wherein the insert has a non-linear mass distribution along its length with a high mass region and a low mass region, and wherein the high mass region has a density that is larger than a density of the low mass region; and a barrel body having a first end and a second end, wherein the barrel body includes a receptacle at the first end that is adapted to engage the joint of the bat core, and wherein the barrel body is generally hollow and dimensioned to engage the outer portion of the shell, and wherein the receptacle is secured to the joint.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the barrel core includes a threaded portion along at least a portion of the that is configured to engage the inner portion of the shell.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the joint is threaded.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the bat core and barrel body are comprised of aluminum.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the shell is comprised of a polymer.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the insert is comprised of a 3D printed polymer.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the density of the high mass region that is between 1.5 and 10 times larger than the density of the low mass region.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the receptacle is brazed or glued to the joint.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the receptacle and the joint are secured by threads.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method for making a bat for a player with physical characteristics, wherein the bat has a drop and length, the method comprising: calculating a center of mass of the bat based at least in part on the physical characteristics, the length, and the drop, wherein the physical characteristics include height and weight; calculating a first and second mass distribution for an insert having a central axis and a length based at least in part on the calculated center of mass, wherein the first mass distribution is symmetric about the central axis along the entire length, and wherein the second mass distribution includes a first density for at least one low mass region and a second density for a high mass region, wherein the second density is greater than the first density; and 3D printing the insert based at least in part on the first and second mass distributions.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, 3D printing further comprises stereolithography.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second density is between 1.5 and 10 times greater than the first density.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the steps of calculating the center of mass and calculating the first and second mass distributions are calculated by a station that is in communication with a 3D printer, where performs the step of 3D printing, and wherein the method further comprises: generating a geometry for the insert based at least in part on the first and second mass distributions by the station; generating a 3D print file based at least in part on the geometry by the station; and transmitting the 3D print file from the station to the 3D printer.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the station is a server.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the server is a first server, and wherein the 3D printer includes a second server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a bat in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of example bat cores for the bat of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of an example of a shell of the bat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the shell of FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the shell of FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of an example of an insert of the bat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the insert of FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the insert of FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are perspective views of an example of a barrel body of the bat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the barrel body of FIGS. 12 and 13;

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the barrel body of FIGS. 12 and 13;

FIG. 16 is an example graph depicting a mass distribution for the insert of FIGS. 8-11; and

FIG. 17 is an example of a production system for the bat of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Refer now to the drawings wherein depicted elements are, for the sake of clarity, not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by the same reference numeral through the several views.

In FIG. 1, an example of a bat 100 in accordance with the present disclosure can be seen. The bat 100 can be generally comprised of a bat core 102, shell 106, insert 108, and barrel body 110. Optionally, the bat 100 can also include a threaded member or portion 104, which can be secured to the bat core 102 (e.g., by brazing, welding or gluing) or which can be integral with the bat core. Each of the bat core 102, shell 106, and barrel body 100 can be manufactured to produce a bat of a given length with each having a predetermined length and mass and with each being generally cylindrical. Typically, the bat core 102 and barrel body 110 can be comprised of aluminum (e.g., an alloy of aluminum) or a composite (e.g., carbon fiber). The shell 106 can also be comprised of aluminum (e.g., an alloy of aluminum), composite (e.g., carbon fiber), or another polymer (e.g., molded or 3D printed polymer like polylactic acid).

Turning now to the bat core 102, examples can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in this example, the bat core 102 can be comprised of a knob 202, handle 204, joint 206, and barrel core 208 and is generally hollow. The knob 202 is generally located at on end of the core 102 opposite the barrel core 208. As shown in this example, extending from and generally coaxial with the knob 202 is the handle 204; in practice, the knob 202 can be separately formed and welded, glued, or brazed to the handle 204. In this example, the handle 204 is shown as being cylindrical, but, in practice, the handle 204 can have a variety of different contours. At the end opposite the knob 202, there can be a joint 206 that extends from the handle 206. The joint 206 can have a wide variety of configurations including threads or being of a shape and dimensioned to form a slip or interference fit with the receptacle 506 (discussed below). Finally, extending from the joint 206, there can be a barrel core 208 which can have interior threads 208 at the end opposite the joint 206 such that it can be secured to an end cap (not shown). Alternative, the threads 208 can be a threaded rod extending from the end of the barrel core 208 so as to engage an endcap (not shown). The threads 208 may also be a smooth recess or rod to enable the endcap can be otherwise secured (e.g., glued, brazed, or welded). As another alternative, the barrel core 102 can include a threaded member 104.

In FIGS. 4-7, an example of a shell 106 can be seen. This shell 106 can be comprised of an inner portion 304 that can define an inner recess 308. The inner recess 308 can be dimensioned to receive the bat core 110. This allows the shell 106 to be secured to the bat core 110 via the threaded member 104 or otherwise (e.g, brazing, gluing, or welding) such that it is generally coaxial with the bat core 110. At one end in this example, junction 310 extends from the inner portion 304, and the outer portion 302 extends from the junction 310. At the opposite end in this example, an outer recess 306 can be seen between the inner portion 304 and outer portion 302. This outer recess 306 can extend from the junction 310 to the opposite end. The outer recess 306 can be dimensioned to receive an insert 108 (discussed below).

Now turning to FIGS. 8-11, an example of the insert 108 can be seen. As shown in this example, the insert 108 can be comprised of a body 402 with an inner recess 404. The inner recess 404 can be dimensioned to receive the inner portion 304 of the shell 106, and the body 402 can have a length that is approximately the length of the outer recess 306 of the shell 104. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the insert 108 has a central axis which can be generally coaxial with the shell 106 when assembled. The mass distribution (which has a density) can be symmetric about this central axis along the entire length of the insert 108. The mass distribution (an example of which can be seen in FIG. 14) along its length is non-linear. As shown in the example, there are two low mass regions and one high mass region. The high mass regions can have a larger density than the low mass region, and, typically, the high mass region has a density that is 1.5 to 10 times larger than the low mass region. In this example, only one high mass region is show, but there can be more than one high mass region. Similarly, there may be one or more low mass regions.

The positioning high and low mass region(s)—as well as their respective densities—can be a function of the batter. Each batter is different and should require a slightly different bat to achieve performance approaching optimal. Determining the configuration of the shell 106 can be achieve through a manufacturing system—an example of which can be seen in FIG. 17. For this to occur, the control station 602 (which can be a server 602 accessible through a webpage or a simple workstation) can receive physical characteristics (e.g., height and weight) of the batter. The length and drop (i.e., bat weight minus bat length) as well as the center of mass of the assembled bat 100 can be determined from the physical characteristic by the engine 614 (e.g., the WHICHBAT® engine). The engine (not shown) can be access through network 604 (which can be a switched packet network like the Internet). Knowing the physical characteristics of the core 102, shell 106, and barrel body 110 (which is discussed below), the locations and densities of the high and low mass regions can be provided so as to produce the correct drop and center of mass for the assembled bat 100. Once the positions and densities of the high and low mass regions of the insert 108 have been calculated, a production file can be generated, which can be provided to the production station 606. This production file can be comprised of a gcode file, and the production station can be a 3D print station comprised of a server 608 and printer 610. In this example, the printer 310 can print through extrusion of a filament (like polylactic acid (PLA) or other polymers known by one of ordinary skill in the art) or stereolithography.

Finally, turning to FIGS. 12-15, an example of the barrel body 110 can be seen. The barrel body 110 can be comprised of a shell or body 502 that is configured to impact a pitched or static ball (e.g., baseball or softball). The body 502 can define an inner recess 504 that is dimensioned to receive the outer portion 302 of the shell 106. Typically, the shell 106 can be secured to the barrel body 502 with a glue. At one end of the body 110 in this example, there is a receptacle 506 that is shaped and dimensioned to receive the joint 206 through a threaded engagement, a slip fit, or an interference fit. The receptacle 506 can also be secured to the joint by welding, brazing, or gluing. Alternatively, the core 102 and barrel 110 can be integral to form a hollow single piece bat with an inner recess 504. In this alternative configuration, the inner recess 404 of insert 108 maybe omitted, and the insert 108 can be secured to the bat within inner recess 504 (e.g., interference fit or glued).

Having thus described the present disclosure by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of the present disclosure may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention. 

1. An apparatus comprising: a generally hollow bat core having: a knob; a handle that extends from the knob, wherein the handle is generally coaxial with the knob; a joint that extends from the handle, wherein the joint is generally coaxial with the handle; a barrel core having a first end and a second end, wherein the barrel core extends from the joint at its first end, wherein the joint is generally coaxial with the joint, and wherein the second end of the barrel core includes threads; a shell having an inner portion and an outer portion that are generally coaxial with one another and joined with one another at a junction, wherein the shell has an inner recess that is dimensioned to engage the barrel core, and wherein there is an outer recess between the inner portion and the outer portion, and wherein the inner portion is secured to the barrel core along at least a portion of its length; an insert that is dimensioned to be received into the outer recess of the shell, wherein the insert is secured to the shell, and wherein the insert is generally coaxial with the shell along its central axis, and wherein the insert has a symmetric mass distribution about its central axis along its entire length, and wherein the insert has a non-linear mass distribution along its length with a high mass region and a low mass region, and wherein the high mass region has a density that is larger than a density of the low mass region; and a barrel body having a first end and a second end, wherein the barrel body includes a receptacle at the first end that is adapted to engage the joint of the bat core, and wherein the barrel body is generally hollow and dimensioned to engage the outer portion of the shell, and wherein the receptacle is secured to the joint.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the barrel core includes a threaded portion along at least a portion of the that is configured to engage the inner portion of the shell.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the joint is threaded.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bat core and barrel body are comprised of aluminum.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the shell is comprised of a polymer.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the insert is comprised of a 3D printed polymer.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the density of the high mass region that is between 1.5 and 10 times larger than the density of the low mass region.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is brazed or glued to the joint.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receptacle and the joint are secured by threads.
 10. A method for making a bat for a player with physical characteristics, wherein the bat has a drop and length, the method comprising: calculating a center of mass of the bat based at least in part on the physical characteristics, the length, and the drop, wherein the physical characteristics include height and weight; calculating a first and second mass distribution for an insert having a central axis and a length based at least in part on the calculated center of mass, wherein the first mass distribution is symmetric about the central axis along the entire length, and wherein the second mass distribution includes a first density for at least one low mass region and a second density for a high mass region, wherein the second density is greater than the first density; and 3D printing the insert based at least in part on the first and second mass distributions.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein 3D printing further comprises stereolithography.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second density is between 1.5 and 10 times greater than the first density.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the steps of calculating the center of mass and calculating the first and second mass distributions are calculated by a station that is in communication with a 3D printer, where performs the step of 3D printing, and wherein the method further comprises: generating a geometry for the insert based at least in part on the first and second mass distributions by the station; generating a 3D print file based at least in part on the geometry by the station; and transmitting the 3D print file from the station to the 3D printer.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the station is a server.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the server is a first server, and wherein the 3D printer includes a second server. 